


Adoption Papers: Hunting Blades Edition

by theguineapig3



Series: Adoption Papers [2]
Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, M/M, angry murder boyfriends feel some fatherly emotions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:21:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23723020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theguineapig3/pseuds/theguineapig3
Summary: After her parents died, Nan never considered being adopted by someone new. Her guild was family enough for her. But hearing about Karol’s new dad, she can't help feeling jealous... and saying so unwittingly puts her in the middle of a major guild conflict. A story about the Hunting Blades.
Relationships: Clint/Tison (Tales of Vesperia), Nan & Clint & Tison (Tales of Vesperia), minor Karol Capel & Nan
Series: Adoption Papers [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1708711
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Adoption Papers: Hunting Blades Edition

**Author's Note:**

> This is 100% self-indulgent "write the fic you want to see in the world." If you share my obsession with minor characters and adoptive family, feel free to jump right in. (Also, it's 2020 and this is the FIRST work for Clint/Tison? Shame. I have to do everything in this fandom myself.)

“Sorry I’m late!”

Nan arrived at the trailhead and had to stop to catch her breath as Clint eyed her with a critical frown. The minutes had slipped away from her that morning, and she had to rush from the city center all the way to the little game trail off the main road east of Dahngrest. The sprint had already exhausted her, but she was trying not to show it. She  _ finally  _ had the honor of assisting the Chief on a patrol, and if he didn’t think she was up to exterminating basilisk nests, he’d send her away. It was always difficult to tell what he was thinking, with his stoic expression, but he finally spoke up and relieved her fear.

“...not late, but pushing it.”

“I know.” Nan took one last long inhale and stood up straight again. “I was just-”

“No excuses for punctuality,” Clint interrupted, “but if you want to talk it over, let’s do it once we’ve spilled some blood.”

“Yes, sir! Of course!”

It was a routine patrol for this time of year, but still a dangerous one. Unlike the common basilisks found further east, which laid clutches of eggs in small burrows that could be identified and destroyed with relative ease, the black basilisks found near Dahngrest birthed live young in large underground dens. Now was the time of year when the young were beginning to venture out, making them easier to target. It was important to seek the dens out as early as possible, before the juveniles’ venom was fully developed. But with mother basilisks extremely protective of their broods, the job wasn't for the inexperienced hunter. It was an honor for someone Nan’s age to be put on the job, much less for her to be paired with the Chief himself. Tison was busy training some new recruits, so Clint was seeing her work unsupervised for the first time. She couldn’t let herself mess this up.

Clint wasn’t the talkative sort, and their patrol started off in silence. Normally Nan wouldn’t mind- she appreciated Tison’s instruction, but this was a welcome break from his usual feral enthusiasm- however, she had a lot on her mind at the moment and would’ve appreciated some help focusing on the patrol. She did her best to bury her thoughts, instead observing Clint’s movements as he scanned the area for any sign of monsters. It didn’t take him long to spot something crawling through the brush nearby, and he motioned for Nan to approach the thicket from the opposite side so that she could flush it out in his direction. She did so with practiced ease, and after a series of swift movements, Clint was sheathing his sword again and crouching over the corpse of a small basilisk. Nan returned to his side, craning her neck to get a better idea of the creature’s color, but Clint answered her question before she could even ask it.

“It’s a juvenile,” he observed before standing up again. “They don’t stray far from the nest. We’re close.”

“Yes, but it’s been dry lately. That could cause basilisks to expand their range.”

Nan said it without thinking and felt a sudden flush of embarrassment as she realized she was contradicting the boss. Clint considered it silently for a moment before simply nodding and commenting “good catch,” and Nan felt her heart swell with pride. She followed after him as he examined the ground for tracks that would point them in the right direction. One last glance at the body of the basilisk they had left for scavengers reminded Nan of what Clint had said earlier, and she cleared her throat before speaking up again. Now that the flurry of activity had ended, her mind was buzzing again, and she figured that speaking her thoughts aloud might help to calm them down and allow her to focus.

“So, um, I  _ am  _ sorry about almost being late.”

“Hm.” Clint didn’t reply, still looking at the trackway in the soil below them. However, he didn’t try to silence her either, and she continued quietly.

“I was talking to Karol. You remember him, right?”

“Yes. Brave Vesperia.”

“That’s him.” Nan perked up. “He’s really serious about it. They have a guild office now and everything. Though, what we actually talked about was family stuff. Apparently, he, uh... got adopted. He has a dad now.”

That brought Clint to a stop, even if just momentarily. “I see. I suppose he can’t be considered a guild-affiliated minor if the guild is not established yet.”

“Yeah. Usually, when kids leave the orphanage to join guilds, they’ve given up any hope of being adopted. But Karol was in and out of guilds so much, he hadn’t really found a guild family yet. He has Brave Vesperia now, but he’s really happy to have a dad too. He was so excited telling me about it, I didn’t have the heart to cut him off. As long as I was listening to him, it was like I could be that happy too. That’s why I was late leaving town.”

There was another moment of silence between them before Clint replied.

“You should focus more on your responsibilities.”

Nan had expected a scolding, but she was still disappointed by his reply. He wasn’t the type to coddle his guild members, but he did know what it was like to lose family. Was she hoping he’d sympathize with her? Why would she-?

“But there’s no shame in missing your own parents,” Clint began again, quieter this time as though it were an afterthought. “If you draw strength from those emotions to fight against the evil that took the ones you love, it can become a powerful weapon.”

There was a soft tone in his voice that Nan had never heard before. It should have made her happy, but instead, it brought about an even stronger flurry of emotion. “I… I know I should think that way...” she began, not even sure herself where she was going with it. “...but it still feels wrong somehow. I’m his friend. I should be happy for him, not jealous-”

Clint stopped abruptly and held out his arm to stop Nan too. She momentarily feared she’d said something wrong, but following Clint’s gaze led her to the outline of a small basilisk peeking out from underneath a nearby boulder. 

“Another juvenile,” he whispered, reaching for the hilt of his sword. “That must be the entrance to the den.”

“Do you think the mother is inside?” Nan whispered back. Clint considered it a moment and shook his head.

“The one we killed earlier had strayed pretty far. Its mother may have gone out looking for it. We should stay on our guard.”

Nan gave a silent nod, though something about the earlier conversation put her on edge thinking about it. She had no sympathy for monsters and knew better than to anthropomorphize them. But the mental image of a mother- a human mother- searching in vain for a lost child that she would never find gave Nan an uneasy feeling. It distracted her enough that she didn’t even register the sound of movement in the brush behind her until it was too late.

“NAN!”

Her vision blurred as she felt a hand on her back shoving her to the ground. One ear was pressed painfully into the dirt, but the other registered a hissing sound that turned into a monstrous screech. Nan finally managed to raise her head enough to observe the situation, and found Clint locked in combat with a basilisk. This one was fully grown, its fangs bared and ready to strike despite the wounds that it had already sustained. It bobbed back and forth, trying to find an opening, but Clint was too fast. He closed the gap again before the basilisk could field another strike, and sliced the creature down the middle. 

Nan pulled herself to her feet, ignoring the stinging sensation in her cheek. She could hear a commotion of hissing and shuffling in the direction of the nest, and Clint directed her to where a group of juvenile basilisks was emerging from beneath the boulder. “We can’t let them escape!”

“Yes, sir!” 

Once again, Nan took the job of corralling the basilisks in Clint’s direction so that he could make easy work of them. There were six in total, not a difficult number to work with, but still easy to lose track of if they weren't cautious. With Nan’s maneuvers, Clint found an opening to strike along a line of them, splitting open the backs of five. One of the smaller basilisks managed to escape Clint’s sword and made a break for it, but Nan cut it off and beheaded it in one swift strike. The clearing fell silent as both humans paused to catch their breath. Nan surveyed their work and broke into a smile.

“...we did it,” she breathed, relaxing again. “We did it-”

“ _ What was THAT?! _ ”

Nan’s relief at their success immediately disappeared as Clint’s booming voice put her back on high alert. He sheathed his sword again and approached her, staring down at her with anger glinting in his eyes. Nan shrunk back, genuinely confused. 

“Wh-wha-?”

“You didn’t even NOTICE the adult basilisk approaching! If you’d been alone, you would have become its meal- and WORSE, it would have fed you to its offspring!” 

Nan scrambled back a few steps. “I-I… I’m sorry… I didn’t expect it to be so close… for the next one, I’ll-”

“The  _ next one?! _ ” Clint closed the gap as though she were an enemy he wouldn’t allow to escape. “You aren’t in any state to be moving onto a  _ next one _ . It was clearly a mistake to bring you along to  _ this one _ .”

A feeling of dread rushed through Nan’s body, and she had to steel herself to keep from collapsing on the spot. She’d been so worried about not messing this up, and yet she’d allowed herself to be distracted at the most crucial moment. Unable to look Clint in the eye, she cast her gaze down and turned away.

“...I’m sorry, Chief… I-”

“Turn around and hold still.”

Clint interrupted her again, but his voice had softened considerably. Nan turned back to him to see that he had retrieved a handkerchief and flask that he kept in his pocket. It was a concentrated alcohol specifically for disinfectant purposes- drinking on the job was forbidden by Hunting Blades policies, but it was important to stave off infection from small wounds before they became serious. Watching him soak the handkerchief reminded Nan of the prickling pain that was still present in her cheek. He held out a hand and nodded in her direction.

“Turn your cheek to me. This will sting.”

“R-right.” 

Remembering his earlier outburst, Nan steadied herself against his touch. But he was surprisingly gentle, tilting her chin up with his free hand and daubing her cheek with the other. The alcohol stung and burned against her scraped skin, but there was a warmth to the gesture that she was unfamiliar with, and she found herself leaning into it.

“I’ll walk you back to the main road,” Clint continued as he finished and stashed the flask away. “You will return to headquarters and join the new recruits in their training. Tison will report to me on your progress this afternoon. Do you understand?”

Nan frowned and stepped back. “The recruit training...? But-”

“Until you can display the seriousness we expect of our full members, we have no choice but to treat you as a trainee.”

It was a logical approach, but it still hit hard. Nan bowed her head obediently.

“Yes, Chief.”

Throughout her walk back to Dahngrest, the painful tingling in her cheek never went away. But she wasn't sure if she was focused more on the pain of the disinfectant or the memory of the gentle care behind the handkerchief. Nan didn’t usually think much about her life before the Hunting Blades, but the experience had brought up memories of childhood- of the time she’d tripped while running along the riverbank, of the time she’d fallen out of a tree, of the time she’d sliced her hand on the thorns of a bramble- every time she’d gotten hurt, her father had been there with bandages and disinfectant, treating and binding her wounds with a comforting smile. These memories were some of the few where she could still see her father’s face clearly, the toothy grin half-hidden behind his thick beard, the deep-set wrinkles that grew more defined when he laughed, the glimmer of love in his deep green eyes that seemed to shine brighter every time she recalled them. He wasn't the type to get poetic about his feelings, but he didn’t need to. The look on his face said it all. 

That sight was more vivid today than it had been in years, but Nan didn’t fully understand why. 

* * *

Showing off in front of her master and the new recruits helped to brighten Nan’s mood, but when Tison asked her to accompany him to Clint's office after training, her nerves returned in full force. Tison wasn’t angry- in fact, he seemed genuinely proud of how Nan had performed that afternoon and said outright that she’d get nothing but praise in his evening report. But when she’d told him the full story, his energy had subdued, and he’d asked her to join them. The thought of facing Clint again was nerve-wracking, but she couldn’t very well refuse. The two of them stepped into Clint’s office, and Nan found herself holding her breath as Tison spoke up.

“Chief? I brought Nan with me. Thought she ought’a be here for this discussion after what happened earlier.”

Clint’s office wasn’t used much, given that he was almost always in the field himself. He returned in the evenings while he was in Dahngrest to read the reports that were turned in, but most of the time he was a detached boss and left the monitoring work up to patrol leaders. Paperwork was a necessary part of remaining in good standing with the Union, but it would always take a backseat to actually killing monsters as far as the Hunting Blades were concerned. Clint looked up from the report he was skimming and set it aside. He didn’t smile, but there was no anger in his voice either.

“That’s fine. I need to speak with her as well. Nan, please sit down.”

“Yes, sir!” She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the pair of chairs that were pushed to one corner of the room. Both were stacked high with unfiled reports, and she pointed to one with a “should I just-?” before receiving a nod from Clint and moving the papers out of the way. Tison was already talking by the time she sat, so she averted her gaze as though she were trying not to pay attention.

“-know her time is better spent in the field, but  _ damn _ , it really wipes the smug looks off the faces of cocky new recruits when they get shown up by a kid half their age. She was running circles around ‘em the whole time.”

“Good. I expect no less,” Clint replied and leaned over to get Nan’s attention. “Your behavior this morning was uncharacteristic, and you were a liability. I sent you to train, not as a punishment, but as a safety measure. I see no need for disciplinary action unless this becomes a habit.”

“I-it won’t!” Nan assured him, sitting up straighter in the chair. “I won’t let you down again, Chief!”

There was a pause. 

“...you say that,” Clint began again, “but you’re still troubled by our conversation this morning. Am I wrong?”

Nan blushed. “Wha-? No, that’s not… I mean, I don’t… I talked to Master about it, and I feel a lot better-”

“That’s actually why I brought her along,” Tison interrupted. “I had a suggestion, but I figured you should be in on it since she’s a ward of the guild and all.”

“I appreciate your input, but it may not be needed.” Clint shook his head and looked to Nan again. “You’ve been a member of the Hunting Blades for almost three years now. I was skeptical about letting such a young child join, but you’ve proven yourself to be one of our most valuable members. The guild has provided you with both a livelihood and a family. But that family is more conceptual than practical. Your envy over Karol’s adoption makes that very clear.”

“Ch-Chief, no!” Nan jumped to her feet. “That’s not it at all! I really do see you as family, I promise-!”

“I wasn’t implying you didn’t. Please sit down and listen to what I have to say.”

His tone had turned harsher, and she instinctively did as she was told. Even Tison seemed unnerved by the turn the conversation had taken, inching away from the front of the desk so that he didn’t obstruct Clint and Nan’s view of each other. Clint set his hands on the top of the desk, lacing his fingers together as he continued.

“You had a family once. They’re irreplaceable, and the roles that they filled in your life can never be fully taken by anyone else. But you’re still a child, and you need the emotional support system that a family provides. If you feel self-conscious or unsure about seeking that from the guild and think you would benefit from a more personal connection, I want you to know that adoption would not affect your position. There is no need for you to be a  _ ward _ of the Hunting Blades to be an active, valued member.”

Nan had to remind herself to breathe, she was so surprised- both by his words and the soft tone with which he spoke them. “...that’s kind of you to say, but I don't know anyone who'd… who’d want to...”

Tison leaned on the side of the desk as he jumped back into the conversation. “This is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about-”

Clint ignored Tison’s enthusiasm, cutting him off as he addressed Nan again. “It’s your decision. But I want you to know that  _ I  _ would be honored to become your father should you allow me to.”

The room went quiet. Nan’s eyes were wide, and one hand wandered to her injured cheek before she realized what she was doing. “...Chief…” she began, but realized she didn’t know what to say, and her voice trailed off again. What  _ could _ she say? This was so unexpected, she hadn’t had the time to consider it. Before she could even conceptualize the idea, Tison broke in again.

“Actually, I was going to suggest that  _ I  _ step in and adopt her. She’s been my apprentice for years, after all. I think I’m the logical choice.”

Nan almost choked. “ _ M-Master- _ ?”

“This isn’t about logic,” Clint replied firmly. “This is about relationships. If you were to adopt her, how would that affect your positions as master and apprentice?”

Tison bristled. “There’s no way I’d let it affect her training! Besides, how much longer is she going to be my apprentice? With her skills, she’ll be rising through the guild ranks in no time at all. How would that look to the other members if it’s the  _ boss’ daughter  _ getting all the promotions?”

“No worse than it would look for the  _ second-in-command’s daughter _ to be getting promotions,” Clint replied, crossing his arms. “If anyone believes her promotions to be unearned, they’d be welcome to challenge her for the position.”

“Even so, your work running the guild keeps you busy when you’re not in the field. How much free time do you really have to spend being a father?”

“ _ Please _ . You know better than anyone how much free time I have.” Clint narrowed his eyes. “If you’re so concerned, then I’ll just spend less time with  _ you _ .”

“That’s not the point-!”

Nan sank back against the chair, gripping the arms so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. She could feel her face growing pale as she listened to the argument grow. Their competitive natures were showing through, and it sounded like they were more concerned about one-upping the other than they were about her wellbeing. But even so, this wasn’t simply a competition for prestige. It came with responsibilities and expectations. The fact that they were not only willing to take on those responsibilities, but they  _ wanted  _ them… they wanted  _ her _ … it was a feeling she wasn’t used to and she didn’t know how to react to it. She put a hand against her cheek and turned away from the continuing argument.

“-your ability to demonstrate combat techniques doesn’t qualify you as a teacher in other contexts-” Clint was saying, and Tison was standing on the tips of his toes so that the two of them could glare eye-to-eye.

“-there’s a  _ huge  _ difference between teaching from a book and teaching from experience. If you’d taken a student yourself, you’d  _ get _ that-!”

“But we aren’t talking about a student! We’re talking about a daughter!”

“Then why are you so damn concerned about my teaching style?!”

The two went quiet for a moment, neither willing to break eye contact. Clint finally sighed and turned away, speaking up before Tison could. 

“You have a point. This is about Nan, not about us. She should be the one to decide.”

Nan nearly fell out of the chair. 

“ _ I should WHAT?! _ ”

“He’s right!” Tison ran to Nan’s side, standing over her momentarily before Clint grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “You said you envied the support that Karol’s new dad gave him, right? That Raven guy is a hack- I can give you ten times that support-!”

“M-Master, I can’t just…”

“Don’t pressure her,” Clint interrupted, and Nan almost thanked him before he continued with “she shouldn’t feel ashamed to prefer the support of a more experienced warrior.”

“More experienced? In what way-?”

“ _ STOP! BOTH OF YOU! _ ”

Nan’s voice cracked, and the chair she was sitting in toppled over as she jumped to her feet again. It wasn’t until after a moment of tense silence that she realized she had just given an order to her superiors. 

“...I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to yell… I shouldn’t have…” She stammered, wringing her hands and fumbling over her words. “It’s just that… you can’t put me in a position like this… I respect both of you and care about you like my own family. But if it’s just going to make you fight, I don’t want to even consider it. The two of you should decide peacefully between yourselves. If you can’t do that much, then I don’t want  _ either _ of you to be my dad.”

Tison stepped back, the determination in his eyes disappearing. Clint’s expression didn’t change, but his muscles relaxed slightly. Nan took a deep breath and turned to pick up the chair. 

“...may I be dismissed?” she asked. 

Clint nodded. “Go ahead. We’ll speak with you again tomorrow.”

She didn’t say anything more, pulling the door behind her as she left. The door didn’t close all the way, and it made a clattering noise as it hit the doorframe and bounced back. Once it came to rest, Tison sighed and tugged his hood down. 

“Oops. Guess I kinda lost my cool there.”

“ _ Kinda _ ?” Clint repeated, turning back toward him. “What  _ was _ all of that?”

“I-I could ask you the same question! Since when are you so interested in being a dad?”

Clint didn't reply at first, letting out a long, deep breath and sinking back into his desk chair. Tison hopped up onto the desk, perching on the side as he listened for Clint’s reply.

“...I don't know.”

“You don't know?” Tison leaned back, swatting papers out of his way. “When she first joined, you were against the idea of letting a kid into the guild at all. Now you're fighting for custody rights.  _ Something’s _ changed.”

Clint stared out the window for a long, silent moment before finally closing his eyes and resting his chin on his hands.

“I've never once blamed my parents for leaving me. It wasn't their fault that those monsters slaughtered them in cold blood. But I  _ have  _ wondered what they were thinking, sacrificing themselves for my sake. Why wouldn't they let me stay with them when I begged? Why did they force me into hiding, knowing I would end up orphaned and alone? I buried away my doubts because I couldn't make sense of them. But…”

He let out a long, slow sigh, and Tison sat up again as he replied. 

“Even so, that’s one thing you’ve got on me. I never had any parents to begin with. If I did take her in, I wouldn’t know where to start.”

Clint shook his head. “That’s not true. Back at Erealumen, when I was blinded by my own determination and hatred, you were the one who noticed that she was having a hard time.”

“Huh? Oh, back then-!” Tison’s face went uncharacteristically pink. “Her heart wasn’t in it. There’s no way she could’a stood up to that monster. Even  _ we _ couldn’t…” His voice trailed off and he looked away. Clint, however, wasn’t fazed by the memory.

“No, you’re right. We were prepared to give our lives to destroy that creature. I had no doubts about that. But when Nan joined us, something changed. I didn’t want her to have anything to do with that fight, not because of any selfish desire to have the prey to myself, but because I couldn’t stand the idea of her being hurt. And when she insisted on staying with us, because we were her  _ family _ -”

“You saw yourself ten years ago.”

“I saw what I hadn’t these past ten years,” Clint corrected. “I finally understood what my parents felt, why they chose the path they did. Just as desperately as I seek vengeance for my parents’ lives, I am prepared to go to the same lengths to protect Nan’s. Today I saw her life in danger, and it terrified me the way nothing has since the war. I don't fully understand it, but I think that's part of being a parent. And if so, I want to embrace it- for her sake and for mine.”

The room went silent again. Tison slid off the desk and knelt down next to it so that he could rest his arms against the side. 

“Geez, you’re so much better than I am at putting this emotional crap into words. It feels like a cop-out to just go ‘ _ oh yeah, I feel the same _ .”

“Do you?”

“...” For once, Tison didn’t have an answer. He tilted his head back and forth as he considered it. “It’s not like I have any parents to understand. I thought being a dad was all ‘ _ eat your vegetables _ ’ and ‘ _ don’t play in the street _ ’ or whatever. It never occurred to me that there was all this mushy stuff involved.”

Clint raised an eyebrow, his mouth turned up at the ends as if he was almost smiling. “Mushy stuff?” he repeated.

“...do I have to say it?”

“Yes.”

It was technically an order from his boss, so all Tison could do was pout as he responded. “ _ Love _ . I wanna adopt her because I  _ love _ her. Happy?”

The reply elicited a rare, genuine smile from Clint. “Happy that you said it, yes. But that puts us at an impasse.”

“Because you love her too, huh?”

“...”

“Chief?” Tison propped himself up on his knees and leaned closer. “ _ Clint? _ C’mon, if I had to say it, so do you.”

Clint looked back toward the window. “...I want to say that I care for everyone in my guild. But I believe that, yes, I have come to uniquely love Nan as if she were my own daughter.”

“Heh. There’s no one-upping that, is there?” Tison grinned, though he turned away from the desk and lowered to sit with his back against the side. “We’re really and truly stuck.”

There was another pause, this one longer and tenser than the ones before. They could hear guild members finishing up the day’s tasks and milling about in the hallway, and the din of crickets from beyond the window as the twilit skies of Dahngrest began to fade into darkness. Eventually, Clint stood up from his chair and moved to sit on the floor beside Tison. 

“Do you remember,” he began in almost a whisper, “when we started the guild? I didn’t ask you to, but you made me a promise anyway.”

“You didn’t need to ask!” Tison replied. “I’ll follow you for the rest of my life, no matter what happens or what monsters we face- whether you want it or not, you’ve got my loyalty ‘til the end.”

“And you still feel that way?”

“I wouldn’t have repeated it if I didn’t!” Tison spoke with a smile, but it faded as he realized what he’d said. “...oh, right. I guess I ought’a honor that promise, huh? I can live with that. As long as you let me keep her on as my apprentice, I’ll teach yer kid everything I know-”

Clint held up a hand to cut him off.

“That wasn’t what I meant.”

* * *

“...wait, they  _ actually  _ asked you to choose between them? That’s  _ absurd _ .”

Yuri was at the stove finishing up dinner preparations, while Judith and Raven placed cutlery on the table. They were setting one extra plate than normal tonight- Nan hadn’t asked, but they said it was only polite to invite your guild boss’ guest to dinner. She’d planned on only complaining to Karol, but with Repede comfortably splayed out across their legs like an enormous lapdog, she couldn’t exactly get up from the couch to take the conversation somewhere private. Karol had been focused on scratching behind Repede’s ears, but he looked up at Yuri as he replied.

“What’s absurd about it? I think it’s important for her to decide. It’s  _ her _ adoption, after all.”

Yuri shook his head. “Stop thinking about it like a boss. They’re both her superiors. What kind of position do you think that puts her in?”

“Yuri’s right,” Raven agreed, taking a seat at the table. “I can tell ya from experience, havin’ ta choose between two superiors is always a lose-lose situation. No matter their rank, nothin’ good can come of snubbing somebody who’s got power over ya.”

“...don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” Nan muttered, looking away. She’d been petting Repede’s back, and when she stopped, he nudged her arm to remind her he was there. “But, I mean, that’s not wrong. They  _ are _ above me, and I don’t want to turn either of them down.”

Judith sat down across from Raven and smiled in Nan’s direction. “The way you talk, it sounds like it’s not just that. Could it be that you feel strongly about both of them?”

“O-of course I do! It's not like it's a secret!” Nan could feel her face turning red. “We’re a family. I care about both of them. And they care about each other too- or, I  _ thought _ they did.”

“Don't worry so much,” Raven assured her. “No relationship is perfect. There’s always gonna be times when even the closest’a families don’t see eye to eye. What you did, making ‘em figure it out on their own, was probably the best option. If they’ve been able ta run a guild together this long, I’m sure they’ll be able ta work this out too.”

Nan looked down, watching Repede’s tail swing back and forth as she ran her fingers through his fur. “I guess so. But that doesn’t help me right now.”

“Maybe not,” Judith offered with a shrug, “but as long as it’s out of your hands, why don't you try being honest with yourself? Who do you  _ hope  _ they decide on?”

“Hope?” Nan repeated the word, not fond of how it sounded. “I don't know if that's the word I’d use. But logically speaking… I wonder…”

Karol nudged her arm. “It's gotta be Tison, right? He's the one who vouched for you when you wanted to join the guild, and he's always looked out for you. He’s practically your dad already.”

“What about Clint?” Yuri asked as he began passing bowls of stew across the table. “Don't get me wrong, I hate nepotism and all, but if you're working hard and genuinely devoting yourself to the guild, being the boss’ kid on top of that can't  _ hurt _ your chances of promotion. Shouldn't that be something to consider?”

Judith hummed thoughtfully. “Perhaps. But this is a familial decision, not a political one. Would the boss of a guild really have time to spend with his daughter?”

“I dunno about a guild boss spending time with his kid,” Raven offered, “but my  _ kid  _ is a guild boss, and he devotes plenty'a time ta his dear ol’ dad.”

Karol responded with a cheerful smile, and Raven winked back at him. In the meantime, Repede had heard the food being plated and jumped down to join Yuri at the table, allowing Karol and Nan the chance to finally get up. Karol settled down at the head of the table next to Raven.

“I'm sure he  _ could  _ make time,” Karol was saying as Nan took the chair between him and Judith, “but the Chief never struck me as a very  _ fatherly  _ kind of person. He’s always so cold and calculating.”

“That's not true!” Nan insisted. “The Chief may seem cold, but underneath it all, he’s actually really sweet.”

Yuri finished distributing the plates and sat down opposite Karol. “You sure? I’ve seen him literally threaten to cut off a guild member’s arm for taking pity on a monster.”

“Th-that’s just a disciplinary bluff they use-!” Nan assured him, waving her hands. “ _The penalty is death, but we’ll_ _go easy on you and take your arm’_ \- or leg, or eye, or whatever they're feeling that day. They almost never go through with it.”

Judith raised an eyebrow. “Almost?”

“It's a long story…” Nan’s voice trailed off as the others began to dig into their meals. Yuri’s cooking smelled delicious, but she didn't have much of an appetite. “The Chief can be harsh sometimes, but it's because he doesn't want anyone to get hurt by monsters. He worries about people and he takes care of his own. Earlier today, I was almost jumped by a basilisk protecting its nest. He saved me and cleaned my wound afterward. He was… so gentle.” Once again, Nan found herself touching her cheek.

“So that's what happened?” Karol asked, leaning over and motioning to his own cheek. “I was gonna ask about it, but I didn't want to be rude.”

“It was the same thing my dad used to do,” she admitted, staring down at her plate. “I used to get hurt all the time. He always took care of me, from little cuts and bruises to the time I broke my arm.”

“Oh, so that’s why…” Karol’s face reddened slightly. “S-sorry about what I said. I didn’t realize he reminded you so much of your dad.”

“Well, not entirely.” Nan picked up her spoon and began pushing food around on her plate. “My dad was much more expressive than the Chief is. He was a lot like Master in that regard, the kind of person who you always knew what he was thinking just by looking at him. But he wasn’t as impulsive as Master is. He was very logical and thought everything through before he did it. In that way, he was more like the Chief.”

Yuri nodded. “That’s fair. You’re never going to find anyone who’s  _ exactly  _ the same as your dad.”

“How old were you when your parents died?” Judith asked, her voice quiet as if she wasn’t sure whether or not Nan would answer. But Nan had told the story enough times that it didn’t bother her.

“I was seven. Our homestead was attacked by a swarm on a territorial rampage. My parents fought to hold them off while I hid in the storm cellar, and I hunkered down to wait until they told me it was safe to come out. But hours passed, and eventually, I realized… they weren’t coming.”

Karol slid his hand over to place against Nan’s. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

His touch sent an unfamiliar fluttery feeling through her chest, and she snatched her hand away. He’d heard the story before, and he knew how she felt. “I told you not to apologize. There was no sense in it. We hadn’t threatened them in any way. They didn’t steal any of our crops or meat or supplies… nothing. Even humans that we call ‘evil’ still hurt others to  _ gain  _ something, no matter how twisted their goals might be. Monsters kill just for the sake of killing. To me- to the Hunting Blades- there’s no greater evil.”

The room went quiet, and Repede whined uneasily. Raven was the first to speak again, clearing his throat to break the tension. 

“After an experience like that, it’s good that you’ve found a group’a people who understand ya. I’m sure, no matter who ends up pickin’ up where your dad left off, the two’a you will be happy.”

“Raven’s right!” Karol chimed in. “Besides, I think it's kinda cool that you have two people who care about you so much, they're willing to fight over who gets to adopt you. I'm jealous.”

Yuri laughed. “Sorry, Karol. I'd have thrown my hat into the ring, but Raven got to you first.”

Karol blushed and dropped his spoon. “Wh-! No, that's not what I-”

“I'll compete for you,” Judith volunteered, raising her hand. “I'm always up for a chance to fight Raven.”

Raven went stiff. “N-now Judith darlin’, there's no need for violence! Haven't’cha ever heard the phrase ‘make love, not war?’ If ya wanna be Karol’s mom, you could just marry me instead of fightin’ me.”

“Hmm~” Judith made a show of thinking it over. “No, I'd  _ much _ rather fight you.”

Nan had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. She hadn't planned to spend the evening with Brave Vesperia, but she had to admit, they could certainly take the edge off a tense situation. She focused on her stew, listening to the banter across the table as the little family argued back and forth for a while. It was good-natured, though, and there were smiles all around.

She wondered if the Hunting Blades could ever have something like this.

* * *

Nan didn’t expect to find Clint in his office first thing the next morning, but she decided to try anyway. He usually went out with the pre-dawn patrols, but if she could catch him before any other members were around, it would make things easier. She was relieved to see the door ajar and the light on when she approached, but she froze up as she heard a familiar voice respond to the Chief’s.

“ _ It says the official license will be issued to the guild within five to seven days. I assume that’s business days. _ ”

“ _ Wait, so… the certificate and the license ain’t the same thing? We gotta wait a week for the license to be issued? _ ”

“ _ We should be able to cite the certificate on the paperwork. _ ”

“ _ Then what the HELL is the license for? _ ”

“ _ I don’t know. More bureaucratic nonsense, I suppose. This is why I never wanted to bother with making it official. It’s a mockery of- _ ”

Unsure if there’d be a good point to jump in, Nan went ahead and knocked on the door. She hated to stand there listening in to private guild management discussions, waiting for a lull in the conversation that might never come. Clint and Tison both went silent for a second before Clint called out.

“Enter.”

Nan peeked her head in and the two men relaxed, their earlier frustration seeming to disappear. “You’re up early,” Tison chimed, stepping out from behind the desk to greet her. “Guess that means you don’t  _ completely  _ hate us for yesterday.”

“Wh-? Hate you? No, I could never-!” Nan began to stammer a reply, but wasn’t sure how to finish it and began again with a clearer explanation. “You didn’t give me a meeting time, is all.”

“I planned to speak with you after your patrol briefing,” Clint replied, setting down the papers he’d been examining, “but this is more convenient. I assume you’re here to follow up after yesterday’s, er,  _ fiasco _ . We both owe you an apology for our behavior.”

Nan approached the chair she’d used yesterday, but stood behind it rather than sitting down. “That’s really okay! You don’t have to apologize-”

“But we do!” Tison interrupted. “We broke our own law against in-fighting, and we made you uncomfortable in the process. Even if we  _ are _ your superiors, you don’t gotta let us off the hook for that.”

“He’s right,” Clint agreed and motioned toward the chair as if asking Nan to sit down. “We both let our emotions get the better of us. I apologize for that.”

“Yeah, me too. I’m real sorry.”

Nan looked up from her seat, unable to help a shy smile. “You got emotional because you care about me. Of course I forgive you.” She paused, her smile disappearing as she continued. “So, um… what did you decide?”

Clint and Tison looked to one another, and Tison shrugged as if placing the conversation in Clint’s hands. Clint sighed before speaking up again, addressing Nan with a serious expression.

“Please understand, this is not a decision we’re asking you to make lightly. As a guild-affiliated minor, there are some unique freedoms you enjoy. You’re under no obligation to give those up, especially not if you’re only doing it to please your superiors. This is a personal offer, not a guild request. Do  _ not _ forget that.”

The room went quiet again. Nan shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “So…?”

“If and only if you  _ genuinely _ feel adoption is the right path for you,” Clint continued, “Tison and I are fully prepared to support you as our daughter.”

Nan didn’t respond at first. She wasn’t sure she fully understood.

“... _ our _ ? As in, like,  _ both  _ of you would adopt me?  _ Together _ ?”

Tison nodded. “That’s right.”

There was another pause, but once everything finally clicked, Nan jumped to her feet. She could feel irritation prickling her skin, and it was no use trying to keep her tone respectful.

“ _ BOTH  _ of you? You mean that was an option this  _ WHOLE TIME _ ?! Why did we have to go through ALL THAT  _ CRAP  _ yesterday?!”

Tison scrambled back in surprise. “What? No, that’s not-!”

“It was  _ not  _ an option this whole time,” Clint interrupted, keeping his eyes focused on Nan. “But last night we visited headquarters and took care of some  _ other  _ paperwork. It is an option now.”

Once again, Nan had to stop and figure out what Clint was saying. It took a moment to click, and even once it did, her confusion was still just as strong. She pointed back and forth between the two of them, trying to articulate a question.

“...you two… you… you actually… for  _ real _ …?”

“Yeah, for real!” Tison chimed with a big grin. “It sounds like a big deal, but it took- what?- like, ten minutes.”

“And you…” Nan could feel her face growing red. “...you did this just for me-?”

“No, we did not,” Clint broke in. “It was long overdue, we’d merely been putting it off because we don’t care for paperwork. Don’t let that influence your decision.”

Nan could feel tears gathering at the edges of her eyes, but she didn’t have the heart to brush them away. “I-I don’t know what to say. I never thought I’d have parents again, and yet… you two are… are…”

“There’s no need to make a decision right away,” Clint assured her, digging into his pocket for a handkerchief and passing it across the desk. “Take your time to consider it-”

“I don’t  _ want _ to take my time!” Nan interrupted, squeezing the handkerchief in her fingers as she let her tears fall. “I haven’t had a dad in six years… and now I get  _ two _ … I don’t want to wait for that!”

“Aw, c’mon, don’t cry!” Tison closed the gap between them and threw his arms around her. “I didn’t study for this dad stuff yet. I don’t know what to do with a crying kid.”

Nan squeezed her arms around his waist and pressed her head against his chest. “...I love you, Master…” she sobbed, and could feel his chest heave as he laughed.

“I love ya too, kiddo.”

Before the two could step back from each other, Clint approached them and put his arms around their shoulders. They were thrown off-balance as he pulled them close, but they looked up to see his expression and couldn’t help a smile themselves. He didn’t repeat their words, but he didn’t have to. 

The look on his face said it all.


End file.
